Bats entertainment

By Stefanie Arias :
July 15, 2013
: Updated: July 16, 2013 11:02am

Families gather along the San Antonio River Walk July 9 to see bats emerge from under the Interstate 35 overpass during a Bat Loco event, where there are activities for children and an informative presentation on bats until the bats come out.

Photo By Cynthia Esparza / For the Express-News

Alana Stanford uses a bat that she cut out as a mustache during a Bat Loco event.

Photo By For San Antonio Express-News

Angie Stanford poses next to a bat for her husband Dominic during the Bat Loco event July 9, 2013 near the intersection of Camden and Newell Streets before they found their spot to watch the bats come out from under the I-35 overpass. The Bat Loco events happen every Tuesday until Aug. 13.

Photo By For San Antonio Express-News

Bat Loco events are held every Tuesday until Aug. 13, 2013 where there are activities for children to do and an informative presentation on bats given until the bats come out from the columns underneath the I-35 overpass near the Camden and Newell Streets intersection by the San Antonio River Walk at sunset.

Photo By For San Antonio Express-News

Stuart Harrison looks at information on bats July 9, 2013 that was given to him during the Bat Loco event near the intersection of Camden and Newell Streets. Bat Loco events are held every Tuesday until Aug. 13, 2013 where there are activities for children to do and an informative presentation on bats until the bats come out from the columns underneath the I-35 overpass by the River Walk at sunset.

Photo By For San Antonio Express-News

People get their spots to watch bats emerge July 9, 2013 during Bat Loco along the San Antonio River Walk. Bat Loco events are held every Tuesday until Aug. 13, 2013 where there are activities for children to do and an informative presentation on bats until the bats come out from the columns underneath the I-35 overpass by the River Walk at sunset. The events are put on by San Antonio River Authority, Paseo del Rio Association, Texas Parks and Wildlife and Bat Conservation International

Photo By For San Antonio Express-News

People get their spots to watch bats emerge July 9, 2013 during Bat Loco along the San Antonio River Walk. Bat Loco events are held every Tuesday until Aug. 13, 2013 where there are activities for children to do and an informative presentation on bats until the bats come out from the columns underneath the I-35 overpass by the River Walk at sunset. The events are put on by San Antonio River Authority, Paseo del Rio Association, Texas Parks and Wildlife and Bat Conservation International

Photo By For San Antonio Express-News

Families gather along the San Antonio River Walk July 9, 2013 to see bats emerge from under the the I-35 overpass during a Bat Loco event, where there are activities for children to do and an informative presentation on bats until the bats come out. San Antonio River Authority, Paseo del Rio Association, Texas Parks and Wildlife and Bat Conservation International are part of the event.

Photo By For San Antonio Express-News

Monica Mendez shows her son Nicholas, 9, a picture of a bat July 9, 2013 as they and other family members wait to see Mexican Free-Tailed bats emerge from underneath the I-35 overpass in front of them during a Bat Loco event. The Bat Loco events are held every Tuesday until Aug. 13 and are put on by San Antonio River Authority, Paseo del Rio Association, Texas Parks and Wildlife and Bat Conservation International.

Photo By For San Antonio Express-News

Mexican Free-Tailed bats take to the sky July 9, 2013 near sunset as people take photos and watch them emerge from underneath the I-35 overpass by the River Walk. Every Tuesday until Aug. 13, there will be Bat Loco events where there are activities for children to do and an informative presentation on bats until the bats come out from the given by San Antonio River Authority, Paseo del Rio Association, Texas Parks and Wildlife and Bat Conservation International.

Photo By For San Antonio Express-News

Mexican Free-Tailed bats take to the sky July 9, 2013 near sunset as people take photos and watch them emerge from underneath the I-35 overpass by the River Walk. Every Tuesday until Aug. 13, there will be Bat Loco events where there are activities for children to do and an informative presentation on bats until the bats come out from the given by San Antonio River Authority, Paseo del Rio Association, Texas Parks and Wildlife and Bat Conservation International.

Photo By For San Antonio Express-News

Mexican Free-Tailed bats take to the sky July 9, 2013 near sunset as people take photos and watch them emerge from underneath the I-35 overpass by the River Walk. Every Tuesday until Aug. 13, there will be Bat Loco events where there are activities for children to do and an informative presentation on bats until the bats come out from the given by San Antonio River Authority, Paseo del Rio Association, Texas Parks and Wildlife and Bat Conservation International.

Photo By For San Antonio Express-News

Mexican Free-Tailed bats take to the sky July 9, 2013 near sunset as people take photos and watch them emerge from underneath the I-35 overpass by the River Walk. Every Tuesday until Aug. 13, there will be Bat Loco events where there are activities for children to do and an informative presentation on bats until the bats come out from the given by San Antonio River Authority, Paseo del Rio Association, Texas Parks and Wildlife and Bat Conservation International.

More Information

Nearby places to see batsBracken Bat CaveSummer home to millions of Mexican free-tailed bats just northeast of San Antonio. Open Wednesday-Sunday nights, with reservations, through Oct. 10. Make reservations online at www.batcon.org. $25. Directions are provided after reservations are made.

Old Tunnel Wildlife Management AreaAbandoned railroad tunnel near Comfort with up to 3 million Mexican free-tailed bats and more than 1,000 Cave myotis (another bat species). Bat viewing is held nightly, May-October. Admission to the upper viewing area is free; the lower viewing area is open Thursdays-Sundays for up to 70 visitors for a $5 fee. Call 866-978-2287 for more information.

Bamberger Ranch Preserve ChiroptoriumMan-made bat cave located on the Bamberberger Ranch Preserve near Johnson City. Private tours of the ranch are offered to groups of 20 or more. Call 830-868-2630 or visit www.bambergerranch.org.

Congress Avenue BridgeLargest urban colony of bats in the world (1.5 million) located in Austin, under the Congress Avenue bridge, which spans Town Lake. Flights happen nightly, March-early November. Free. Call 512-327-9721 for the latest times.

A week ago, 300 people of all ages gathered along the Museum Reach of the River Walk to stare at the underside of the Interstate 35 overpass. It wasn't the popular fish installation or a river barge parade that held their attention; it was the chance to see the nightly migration of approximately 50,000 bats.

The bats emerge nightly at dusk, but “Bat Loco,” now in its third year, is held at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays through Aug. 13.

“When the Museum Reach opened in 2009, people started calling and asking what was up with the bats,” said Matthew Driffill, recreation superintendent for the San Antonio River Authority. “I didn't even know about the bats.”

“They weren't known about until the River Walk expanded. It was one of those best-kept-secret things,” said Fran Hutchins, the Bracken Bat Cave coordinator for Bat Conservation International.

Along with seeing the colony leave the roost at dusk, “Bat Loco” includes games and art activities for kids, educational presentations about bats, information on how to build bat houses and the Cheesy Jane's truck with food and beverages available for purchase.

“I'm attracted to anything that has to do with wildlife,” said Stone Oak resident Stephanie Motz, who attended the event with her mother, Nina.

“I think it's neat that they live in an urban environment,” Nina said.

“The way it's designed, the expansion joint that runs under the bridge has a gap that's about 10 inches deep,” he said. “This particular species likes that narrow crevice to roost in. They like man-made structures, bridges and bat houses and buildings. They like bridges mainly because that concrete gets very hot during the day, and this species likes a very hot roost.”

That answers a few of the questions that Hutchins and the others are asked during “Bat Loco.”

Some of the others — asked mostly by the kids in attendance — are: Will bats fly into my hair? What do they eat? Will they bite me? (The answers: No; their weight in bugs each night; only in self-defense, so never touch one.)

“We talk about the different myths and explain why they're myths,” Hutchins said. “Some people think bats are blind, but none of the species are. We have a conversation about the bats roosting under the bridge, their life cycle, how they migrate, how long they're here for, the differences between colonies. The questions can sometimes lead to conversations about different types of bats.”

“We're really trying to provide good information so people have a better understanding,” Driffill said.

After the presentation, as the sun began to set, a handful of bats fluttered out from the bridge. Those were the scouts who come out first to check for potential threats, Driffill explained to the crowd.

A few seconds later, the rest of the colony streamed from the roost and flew to the east in what looked like a speckled current of air. Most of the crowd used their cellphones to take photos and video of the activity.

The final batty event, the Bat Loco Festival, will start at 5 p.m. Aug. 13 and have additional activities, plus food booths and live entertainment.

“Bracken has been in the news a lot, and Austin has always had their thing,” said Hutchins, referring to the bat colony under Congress Avenue Bridge. “Now San Antonio is starting to have more of an awareness.”